ROME, Ga., April 21, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New study data, to be presented at this month's annual meeting of the American Pain Society in Tampa, report a sharp drop in the level of chronic pain reported by patients after using pharmacy compounded non-opioid prescription pain creams. The patients also reported a major decrease in their reliance on traditional, opioid-based oral medications like hydrocodone and oxycodone.

The patient outcome surveys are among those selected for the author-attended poster sessions at the annual meeting, representing "the best innovations and research in the study and treatment of pain," according to the American Pain Society's website.

With one of every three Americans, an estimated 100 million people, suffering from chronic pain, the total national economic cost associated with chronic pain is estimated by the Institutes of Medicine to be as high as $635 billion every year. This is ten times more the costs usually reported that involve opioid-related abuse, addiction, and accidental death, and is the result of inadequately managing chronic pain, resulting in what the IOM calls the "conundrum of opioids."

Attendees of the American Pain Society's 33rd Annual Scientific Meeting will have an opportunity to view and discuss the survey results with Tino Unlap, Ph.D., principal investigator for Patient Outcomes Analytics (POA). POA conducted the scientific studies under contract to DeTOURE, a research and development organization supporting outcomes associated with the compounding of topical non-opioid pain creams.

This will be the second major presentation for DeTOURE-sponsored research in the last 30 days. In early April, it presented the findings from a study of senior citizens suffering from chronic pain at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy's annual meeting. That survey also reported a significant reduction in reported pain levels among patients who used a pharmacy compounded non-opioid cream.

The three topics to be presented at the APS conference are:

The results of a survey, showing that more than four of every five patients (87%) who used a compounded prescription, non-opioid topical pain cream said their pain lessened after using the cream, reducing their pain levels by more than half over a 24-hour period. In addition, 42% indicated their use of oral pain medications had decreased. The patients surveyed suffered from chronic pain, and were covered by TRICARE, the government's healthcare plan for members of the military and their families.

The results of another survey, reporting that almost 3,600 chronic pain sufferers reported a significant reduction in their pain levels after using the compounded prescription cream. The participants said their pain levels decreased, on average, by 20 percent after four weeks' continuous use of the cream. More than 70 percent said their pain had lessened, with an average 24-hour reduction of 58 percent; 38 percent indicated their use of oral pain medication had decreased, echoing the study mentioned above.

A graphic illustrating POA's newly developed integrative model to improve pain management. The model shows how data from patients using personalized compounded transdermal pain creams is collected, analyzed by POA scientists, validated by an outcomes research company and presented on a doctors' portal site where physicians can monitor the progress of their patients' treatments.

"These studies confirm that using topical, non-opioid anti-pain creams to reduce pain as well as lead to a reduction in the use of oral pain medications is a viable solution to the growing epidemic of chronic pain in America," said Rob Gussenhoven, PharmD, Chief Scientist at DeTOURE. "Treating chronic pain is vital — not only to our patients' wellbeing, but also to the wellbeing of our society. By bringing the results of these surveys to the members of the American Pain Society, I believe they will recognize both the direct and secondary values inherent in lessening Americans' dependency on opioids, and adopt other approaches, such as the prescribing of creams which address pain at the source, rather than through a systemic approach with its negative, long-term impact."

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